1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device that can be configured to hold dip, punch or a cake or similar items to these.
2. Background of the Prior Art
One of the problems with home entertaining is the need to have sufficient serving trays and receptacles on hand to hold the various items to be served. While a hostess may use paper servers or everyday dishes, such implements are typically satisfactory for only the most informal events, such as close family and friends. When more elegant affairs are on tap, more elegant service dishes are called for. Many hosts and hostesses buy various serving dishes and bowls for the more fancy affairs that are thrown, however, this poses a problem. Typically, such service items, by being relatively fancy and elegant, tend to be reserved for the more fancy social affairs being hosted. As such parties are occasional affairs for most, and as each service item occupies a relatively large amount of real estate, storage of such items between affairs can be problematic for all but the grandest of houses.
In order to combat this problem, combination dishes have been proposed wherein a single service item serves more than one function, thereby lessening the storage space requirement for the hostess. The problems with these prior art devices is that some such devices are relatively cumbersome and awkward to assemble making use of such devices less than desirable. Items that are relatively easier to assemble are made from plastic or similar material and are thus less than ideal for more formal affairs.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a single device that can have multiple uses for food service at an affair so that the device has versatility for a given event and so that the device occupies a reasonable amount of real estate when not in use. Such a device must be easy to assemble and to reconfigure for additional uses and must be able to be made from materials that are suitable for more formal affairs.